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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29097576">Dance With Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megane/pseuds/Megane'>Megane</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftercare, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attraction But No Confessions, Bonding, Canon-Typical Violence, Comedy, Dancer (Final Fantasy Job), Day trips, First Times But Not in the Way You Would Think, Flirting, Hypnosis/Suggestion, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Minor Canonical Character(s), POV Alternating, Pre-Relationship, Sparring, Sprinkles of It Really, Status Effects, Teamwork, trans male character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:02:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,521</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29097576</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megane/pseuds/Megane</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud promises to take Andrea on the trip of a lifetime, and Andrea shows a side of himself he thought he left behind.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Andrea Rhodea/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dance With Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Y'all, I didn't expect to go this hard. This was originally meant to have some angst and near death, but <i>instead</i>, we have joyful gays. Prospering. And you know, that's not bad either.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     “I can show you, you know.”</p><p>Andrea turned towards Cloud and let out a curious noise. Cloud sighed softly, looked down, and then turned his head away. It was endearing, really, how he reacted when he needed to express himself. Even when he looked away, Andrea could see the faint pink dusting the top of a pale ear. Clearly, whatever this was meant more than Cloud was letting on.</p><p>     “... The sky,” Cloud said finally. He leaned forward and dropped his elbows onto his thighs. He set his attention skyward and gazed out to the plate above them. “I can give you that view you always wanted.”</p><p>If there was anyone who could, Cloud would certainly be the one to do it, but even still, the magnitude of what he was offering was… Andrea felt himself ready to reply, his jaw lowered and lips parted, but nothing was forthcoming. Was it so easy to offer something so meaningful? To someone who was so well traveled, was this merely a gift that was so simple to give? More than that— less…?</p><p>     “Cloud…” was what he settled on eventually.</p><p>     “It’s a big world out there. ‘d be a shame if you didn’t get to see it.” Cloud turned his head oh so slightly to regard Andrea. “Right?”</p><p>     Again, speechlessness hit, but Andrea could feel it start to lift. He reached out to touch Cloud’s arm fondly. His other hand came to rest on his own chest. “Right…”</p><p>He looked up to the plate. Even though bits of the night sky were visible through the openings, the thick metal obscured most of it. It was a view he had gotten used to, and depending on where in Midgar he was, he hardly noticed it at all. But to think that he could see the clear, open sky in its unadulterated form… It almost felt like too much. He squeezed Cloud’s arm, his heart starting to race with anticipation.</p><p>Cloud looked down to where Andrea was gripping him before sighing through his nose. He looked away silently before covering the hand with his own. His characteristic brand of comfort as brief a gesture as it was.</p><p>     “How soon?” Andrea asked, his voice lighter than he meant it to be.</p><p>     “Tomorrow… if you’d like.”</p><p>     Andrea’s heart began to sore. “Tomorrow then. Let’s go in the morning.”</p><p>     Cloud nodded, and Andrea pulled his hand away. “Sure. I’ll give you time to get ready.”</p><p>Andrea touched his palms together and set his hands between his knees. His eyes never left the sky. He loved his life, he truly did, but he was also the type of person who never ran away from new experiences, no matter how mysterious they may seem. If it would work out in his benefit, he could carve the best path for himself, but this was… So much more than anything he had faced before.</p><p>Cloud was both simple and very complex. His life was a twisted web, but his own desires and notions were very straightforward. To give Andrea an opportunity like this was a simple matter to him. To allow him— no, <em>help </em>him — see a steelless sky was perhaps one of the easiest things he could do for the entrepreneur. So of course, why not? Andrea laughed softly, ducking his head and giving it a light shake.</p><p>     “Why not?” he repeated softly.</p><p>Cloud’s brows raised before he turned his head to Andrea, curiosity in his eyes. His lips tugged down ever so slightly to express a question he wouldn’t ask. Andrea brought up his own head and smiled at him. He reached up a hand to cup Cloud’s face; his thumb stroked the blond’s bottom lip.</p><p>     “Nothing, darling. Just… thank you.”</p><p>     Cloud blinked slowly, as content as a feline, before sighing. He tilted his head into Andrea’s touch. “Save it for tomorrow.”</p><p>     Andrea laughed, his heart tugging with the motion. “Sure thing.”</p><p> </p><p>When Cloud’s motorcycle roared closer, every Bee giggled and swooned and shouted their enthusiasm. It had been a spectacle walking through Wall Market with the entire employ of the Honeybee Inn walking in a stylish crowd. People pointed and whispered to themselves, theorising what could have brought the hive out en masse like this. Dez and Claude teased the passers-by with knowing smiles and haughty chin lifts. They shared a devious look with one another, but now that they were seeing Cloud pull up on his motorcycle, they were just as dazzled as the others.</p><p>Dez and Otto broke away to admire the vehicle, excitedly talking with each other about its speed and build and— Andrea chuckled, noticing Cloud’s surprised expression. The blond expected a very quiet pick up, something low key. They wouldn’t be heading too far out from the city, not by his measure anyway. Maybe they’d be gone for a few hours, but he didn’t think there’d be a farewell party when he got here. He sighed irritably and ruffled the hair at the back of his head. Andrea placed his hands on the Bees closest to him as he stepped through the group.</p><p>     “Apologies,” he said, his sympathy only outweighed by his own amusement. “They just wanted to see me off safely.”</p><p>     “I can see that.” Cloud dropped his hand onto his thigh and looked around at the Bees. “Never knew you had this many working for you.”</p><p>     “Hives are tricky that way, dear. You never know how many bees there are until you get us all riled up.” With that, Andrea closed the space between them and smoothed a hand across Cloud’s shoulder blades. He half-turned towards his excited employees and smiled at them all. “We’ll be back soon. I’ll be in touch if anything happens.”</p><p>     “Have fun, Andi!” enthused Hattie, and the rest soon followed, shouting their own farewells and well-wishes.</p><p>Cloud shook his head and muttered something that Andrea couldn’t hear, but soon, he was directly Andrea how to best mount and sit on the motorcycle. At first, Andrea set his hands on Cloud’s hips, but then with a smile to the others, he slipped closer and wrapped his arms around Cloud’s waist. Surely enough, it sent them into a frenzy of whistles and laughs. Cloud looked over his shoulder to Andrea, shooting him an embarrassed glare. Andrea smiled at him.</p><p>     Andrea leaned forward to whisper in his ear, “I’ll make it up to you.”</p><p>     Cloud huffed. “You better.” With that, he reached down to pluck the second part of goggles out of his storage compartment. He held them over one shoulder. “Put these on.”</p><p>When Andrea did, they did one more check up, and then Cloud revved the engine, signaling they were ready to leave. The Honeybees all waved excitedly. Cloud adjusted his own goggles and then regarded the crowd. After a beat, he waved a hand half-heartedly to them. And then, grateful for the excuse, he and Andrea were gone. Andrea held onto Cloud’s waist as a joke before, but now when he squeezed tight, it was for his own safety.</p><p>The sector and its inhabitants passed by so quickly. The fastest Andrea had gone had been on one of Sam’s chocobos when they needed to wrangle the ones that got away, but that was still within city limits. He wasn’t one to travel around Midgar very often as it was. But here he was, the speed steadily gaining as he raced towards his freedom. Cloud took turns expertly and dodged obstacles before Andrea realised they were there. He drove through a forgotten tunnel system with ease. Shadow and light passed quickly over their heads, and after minutes which passed like seconds, they were exiting out onto the backroads. There was clearly a path here made for construction, but the mission had been abandoned ages ago.</p><p>Their ride took the rough terrain like a dream, and Cloud drove with expected calm. Andrea, on the other hand, couldn’t remember feeling his heart so prevalent in his throat. He couldn’t remember being this excited, this giddy, this <em>nervous</em> before. He laced his fingers anxiously over Cloud’s stomach and ducked his head against the blond’s neck. Cloud shifted to look at him, but the angle was less than ideal. Instead of speaking as his words would only get eaten in the wind, he placed a hand over Andrea’s in a show of comfort. When he felt Andrea smile against him, he could only assume he succeeded.</p><p>Cloud flicked his gaze higher as the plate of Midgar finally gave way. He wove around a makeshift ramp and immediately picked up the speed, tearing across the open landscape. <em>Look,</em> he thought, hoping that the mental urging would be enough to rouse Andrea out of… whatever he was going through back there.</p><p>Andrea took in a breath to steel himself. He wasn’t sure what to expect or what to make of this new emotion swelling through him, but he wasn’t going to shy away from the chance Cloud was giving him. He lifted himself upright with his eyes closed, and then, when he opened them—</p><p>The sky had never been so beautiful before. The softest blue with thick white clouds floating lazily in the air. The sun was a pale radiance in the northwest. He gazed up, completely dumbfounded. The sky had always been there in bits and pieces and in a way he could never reach. He had made his peace with it decades ago. And yet… <em>And yet…</em></p><p>“Cloud,” he whispered, not caring if he wasn’t heard. He slid a hand to Cloud’s right shoulder as the other drew back to lazily hold his waist. Andrea took in the ground, both covered by plush green and baring earthy brown.  Behind him, dirt and rock kicked up behind them. Midgar was getting further and further at such a rapid speed. Andrea’s eyes widened as he looked around once again. Shock and awe… That was all he felt, but they coalesced into one big feeling of disbelief.</p><p>Andrea found himself laughing uproariously. He squeezed Cloud’s shoulder again, even shaking him a little. Cloud tried not to be distracted by the suddenness of Andrea’s actions. A part of him, small and untouched as it was these days, had felt the same way before after all…</p><p>For a while, Cloud drove aimlessly. He didn’t really have a place in mind for them to settle, but he also didn’t want to get too far from where Midgar was. They drove past “The Cliff” and continued further out. The world opened up to them, yawning wide and hiding nothing. Andrea was tempted to take off his goggles. He wanted an unfiltered view, but he had enough sense to wait until they found somewhere to stop. It took some time, but they finally did. Cloud followed old muscle memory, unfamiliar with the path he was taking but trusting his instincts to get them there.</p><p>They stopped near a young waterfall, though its flow wasn’t anything impressive yet. Nearby, there was a formation of earth that led down like stairs to a lake. Cloud parted his bike near large rocks and killed the engine. Andrea was shaking from the ride, both from the vibrations and the excitement of the trip. Cloud looked over his shoulder to the performer.</p><p>     “You get off first.”</p><p>     “Yeah…”</p><p>Andrea smiled wide at the world, drinking it in for a bit longer where he sat. Thoughtlessly, he pulled off his goggles and withdrew himself from the motorcycle. He reached to the side, handing off the goggles to Cloud before quietly striding forward. He could see the towering presence of Midgar from here still, but it was still so far away that it felt like a dream. He walked around without really thinking, looking at rocks and flowers and little lizards he had never witnessed before. He ran a hand over a rock formation, and its harsh texture was enough to sink in the fact that this was all <em>real</em>. He laughed in disbelief as he rubbed his palm against the roughness for a few seconds.</p><p>     Cloud eventually joined him, hovering nearby like a protective shadow. Andrea could see him in the corner of his eye. He turned his head before long and smiled softly at the blond. “Let’s sit a while, shall we?”</p><p>Cloud nodded and led them away. They turned their backs to Midgar and faced the meadow that stretched out before them. He climbed onto a rock before reaching out a hand to pull Andrea up with him. It was… familiar in a way, but they weren’t high enough for the nostalgia to ring fully true. They said nothing for the longest time, merely taking in the sights, the warmth of the sun, the caress of a passing breeze. Andrea let himself think during that time about how to get his Bees out here as well. And Jules, ah. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Jules would love this…</p><p>     “...How is it?” Cloud asked, his voice softer than usual as if he didn’t want to disturb the moment.</p><p>     Andrea laughed softly at his care. “It’s beautiful.” He opened his eyes slowly. “It’s… more than that, but I’m afraid I can’t find the words.”</p><p>     “Mn.” Cloud crossed his arms atop his knees. “Yeah. I can understand that…”</p><p>In his pause, something shuddered to life in the distance. A large patch of grass lifted itself out of the ground and shook itself into a more narrow form.  The creature, as it most certainly was alive, moved with its many legs in a seemingly random direction. Its stalk head shook with each step. Cloud and Andrea watched it go, Andrea with fascination and Cloud with alertness.</p><p>     “I didn’t want to take us really far but had to get out of the wasteland, so,” Cloud continued, never once drawing his gaze away from the creature in the distance.</p><p>     Andrea hummed. “Thank you, Cloud. Truly.” He took a breath, paused, and then leaned closer. He pointed to the plant being making its way away from them. “What… <em>is</em> that?”</p><p>     “A mandragora,” Cloud replied nonchalantly. “They’re not so bad, but they can be annoying in groups.” He took in a deep breath and sighed through his nose before adding, “But I guess that can be said of anyone.”</p><p>     “A lesson I learned better than most,” Andrea agreed. He lowered his hand down to Cloud’s thigh. “Have you fought one of those before?”</p><p>     “A few. Mostly when I was out on missions, but I don’t run into them often off to take note of them.”</p><p>     “You wouldn’t.” Andrea laughed, good-natured. “I can’t imagine something like that existing.”</p><p>     Cloud gestured a hand limply forward. “Well. There you go.”</p><p>Andrea laughed again. Sure, this was old hat to someone as well-traveled as Cloud, but it was sweet of him regardless to not shut down Andrea’s fascination. Andrea lowered his gaze, watching as his hand smoothed a hand up and down the length of Cloud’s thigh.</p><p>     “My mother and father… before they had Jules and I… They used to travel every so often. Back then, they weren’t very prominent fixtures in Wall Market. If I remember correctly, they used to live above the plate before they were dealt a bad hand.” Cloud looked to Andrea as he spoke. Andrea lifted his gaze to look around again. “My dad kept a book of pressed flowers and even blades of grass. If I remember correctly, Mom, she. Hm.” Andrea smiled fondly. “She kept tickets for every theatre she went to, play or cinema, and she made a display for them. Just a little collage she kept in a picture frame.</p><p>     “I kept the book. Jules has the picture frame. Sometimes we trade depending on our moods. But it’s… It’s nice to finally get to be a part of the world they took so much joy in. I’d love to bring the others one day.”</p><p>     “One day…” Cloud lifted his head to watch one of his namesake float high above. “… I didn’t know you and Jules were related.”</p><p>     “Not many people do.” Andrea laughed. “It’s our best kept secret, though we don’t really try to hide it. If it comes up, we usually admit that we’re brothers, but it so rarely does in typical conversation. People tend to think that I’m just a very avid gym rat, which is just as fine by me.”</p><p>     “Hm.”</p><p>Andrea turned his attention to Cloud, and good thing he did. He was just in time to see a ghost of a smile on those pretty pale lips. Such a small gesture was enough to remind Andrea how beautiful the man beside him truly was. But then it was gone and soon replaced with a clear expression as something dawned on Cloud. The blond made a soft noise.</p><p>     “Can I… ask you something?”</p><p>     Andrea tilted his head. “Sure thing. What is it?”</p><p>     “Since you brought up fighting earlier, that reminded me…”</p><p>Cloud stopped himself before gathering his thoughts. He had noticed little things here and there about Andrea, but the realisation came to him in full force when they were dancing that day. He never got a chance to bring it up, but now that they were alone… He flicked his hand out, more as a gesture to focus his own thoughts than it was to mean anything to the man beside him.</p><p>     “Are you familiar with fighting at all? There was something about the way you commented on me and Aerith’s fight back then, but also… I could feel it on you or somewhere nearby. The magic of materia.”</p><p>     Andrea moved his hand from Cloud’s thigh to his own cheek. He hummed thoughtfully before nodding quietly. “If I tell you, it’s something you mustn’t tell anyone else. Not even my Bees, okay?”</p><p>     A secret that <em>they</em> didn’t know? Cloud frowned before turning on the rock to face Andrea more attentively. “Sure.”</p><p>     “Jules and I… Well. After our parents passed, we were old enough to make something out of ourselves. We had patchwork skills in this and that, but neither of us had enough to really find meaningful work. Being tried and true Wall Market boys, however, we were able to fix that quickly. We took on odd jobs to fill the gaps in our skill sets. Jules even lived in a different sector for a few months while we scraped together gil and options.</p><p>     “I was devastated without him, but don’t tell him I said that.” Cloud huffed a laugh as Andrea wagged a finger at him. “I went from loving company to having no one at the time. There were family friends who said their ‘hi’s and ‘bye’s but it wasn’t the same, you see. So, I went looking deeper. Never one to stray too far away from the spotlight, I found myself before the jeering, gnashing crowd of the Colosseum.”</p><p>     Cloud looked surprised before looking Andrea up and down quickly. “You?” When Andrea nodded, the blond shook his head. “How long has that been around…?”</p><p>     “For some time, I believe. Don Corneo made it the flashy spectacle it is today, but it had been Shinra’s little playpen for longer than I’ve been around. I couldn’t tell you what they used to do there, but I heard it was a certifiable blood sport back then.” Andrea shivered, a look of distaste crossing his features. “Infamous in its brutality. By the time I joined the fray, it was just a bunch of plucky and cocky hopefuls wanting to be seen so they could be recruited above the plate. They gave us our materia, made us do our song and dance, and well.” Andrea clapped his hands together before shrugging up his shoulders. After a big flashy grin, he opened out his arms, “It all helped shape me into the fine man you see before you today.”</p><p>Cloud licked the back of his teeth to keep down a comment he felt rise up. Instead, he nodded slowly. When he looked Andrea over again, he did so with a more analytical gaze. It was hard to tell what muscle came from combat and which from his years of working out, but he knew a sure fire way to see Andrea’s skill for himself.</p><p>     “Mind if I see?” He tilted his head towards the open space beside them.</p><p>     “Oh?” Andrea looked to the meadow before looking to Cloud. He placed a hand on his chest and laugh sheepishly. “Cloud, my dear. I’m way out of practice. You’ll completely pluck an old bird like me.”</p><p>     Cloud snorted. “I doubt it.”</p><p>He then faced forward, placed his hands flat against the rock, and kicked off. Andrea watched as the man sailed across the air and landed meters away. Was there anything he <em>couldn’t</em> do? Cloud dusted off his backside and began walking towards his motorcycle where he had his massive sword secured against the side. Andrea took himself down and sauntered over towards Cloud. Once he stopped, he dusted himself off as well.</p><p>     “How exactly are you going to ‘see’ this skill of mine?”</p><p>     “You train with Jules and them, right?” Cloud asked. Once his sword was free, he held it out at his side.</p><p>     “The most I have to worry about is a weight falling on my chest or falling during chin-ups, love.” Andrea eyed the hefty piece of equipment, feeling a touch intimidated. “Bisection never crossed my mind before.”</p><p>To his complete and pleasant surprise, he made Cloud… laugh. The blond’s lips quirked up in an honest smile and he shook his head. If Andrea hadn’t fallen before, he was completely enamoured now.</p><p>     “Just… Do you trust me?”</p><p>     Andrea placed a hand at the bend of his arm; the other went up to his cheek. “I suppose I do. After all, I let you take me away from business and home to the middle of nowhere so you could wag a big sword at me.” He then let out a dramatic sigh. “Sadly, not the type of sword I’m interested in.”</p><p>He pouted and gazed out towards the meadow, but he was still pleased by the flustered noise Cloud made. The blond crossed the space between them and tapped his knuckles against Andrea’s shoulder. Andrea laughed and relaxed his posture.</p><p>     “I won’t cut you. I know how to feign a strike. I just want to see what you can do.”</p><p>     Andrea smiled warmly at him before nodding. “Alright then, but ah… Before we begin, I feel I should confess something.”</p><p>     “Didn’t expect you to be so candid today.”</p><p>     Andrea scoffed before shifting his weight. “Neither did I! Imagine my surprise!” He chuckled before looking at Cloud. <em>Really</em> looking at him. Cloud straightened up, feeling the mood shift slightly. “My fighting style involves… getting into my opponent’s head.”</p><p>     Cloud hummed, seemingly understanding. “S’all apart of how fighting works.”</p><p>     “No, no. Not <em>quite</em> like that.” He moved until he was almost chest to chest with Cloud. He brought his hands up to cup Cloud’s head and pressed his thumbs against the blond’s temple. “I rely heavily on word magic, you see, to go with my fighting style. And since you and I have a closer bond, it might be more effective than usual. I care about you, you know I do. I just don’t want to put you in a… precarious situation.”</p><p>Cloud stared up at him, thinking it over. He was used to a certain voice in his head already, tempting him, berating him, isolating him. But he knew that Andrea wouldn’t be the same way, just by virtue of who he was. Even still, he let himself really think it over. Having someone mess with him like that could get… dangerous.</p><p>     “I suppose it’s better to ask if <em>you</em> trust <em>me</em>, Cloud, and if you would allow yourself to fall under my sway like that.” Andrea lowered his hands to Cloud’s shoulders. “I won’t do anything to hurt you. Well, not unless you hurt me first, you big strong man.”</p><p>     Cloud snorted a laugh. He reached to cup Andrea’s waist with his free hand. He gave the spot a meaningful squeeze, which made Andrea sigh in satisfaction. “I know you won’t. But let’s agree to call it quits if it gets too much.”</p><p>     “Agreed.” They separated, leaving trails of heat where they touched. “Allow me to lead the way.”</p><p>Little did Cloud know, the first seed had been in his mind. He felt something warm course through him, but he could only suspect that it was his own affections for Andrea. Or, at the very least, the weather. The two walked to a random spot and stood ten paces away from each other. Cloud held his sword out at the ready, the familiar pose putting him in an equally familiar headspace. He quickly reminded himself that he was training, and he had to readjust to make up for the lack of tension.</p><p>Meanwhile, across from him, Andrea stood with his hands set just behind his hips. He stretched out his left leg before touching the ground with the toe of his shoe. He made a wide arch slowly to his left side until his left foot ended up behind his right.</p><p><em>     It’s been a while,</em> he thought to himself. <em>I suspect I still have my old touch…</em> He looked up to Cloud, his eyes soft. There was a slight frown on his face. <em>But still.</em></p><p>Being just the natural empath he was, he could feel that there were times when there was something “off” about Cloud, when he was mentally or emotionally a thousand miles away from wherever he physically was. But if they were trusting each other now, then Andrea would do his best not to abuse it. Regardless, he wasn’t in full form as it was. He would just have to mind his steps as it were.</p><p>     “Ready, Cloud?”</p><p>     Cloud tucked his chin. “Ready.”</p><p>Andrea’s hands lifted up quickly to his chest. The motions were a bit showy, as one would expect of the performer, but Cloud soon learned that this was classic misdirection. With an expert level sleight of hand, two orbs of materia appeared between Andrea’s palms before the dancer clutched them. One was pastel blue and the other burning orange. They vanished in a flash of colourful light before Andrea’s earrings shone with the same hues.</p><p>     He smirked at the blond across from him before bending over, stroking a hand down his covered chest. <em>“Like what you see?”</em></p><p>Cloud’s eyes widened as he felt his heart beat dramatically in his chest. Once, twice — powerful pulsations that shook through his entire body. Even though he was already watching Andrea, he was now solely focused on the other man. His grip tightened around his sword.</p><p>Before he moved, he took stock of himself. He knew where he was and what he was doing, but they were just immaterial details that didn’t matter as much as <em>Andrea</em> right now.</p><p><em>     “Follow my lead~”</em> Andrea’s voice was silky against Cloud’s mind. He leaned back with a body wave, running his hands from his head down the length of his torso. He spun around and opened his arms, bright orange flashing on his right ear.</p><p>Cloud’s own eyes flashed with that same colour, just for a split second, and he felt the suggestion sink deeper. But instead of dread and panic filling him, he felt warm and loose. Adrenaline pulsed through him just the same as it had that night. Andrea spun in a tight circle but shooting up a hand in the air.</p><p>There was his opening. Cloud fought against the spell long enough to rush forward. He swung diagonally. He pulled his strike, maintaining the fine distance between not hitting the dancer but still being close enough to keep him on his toes. Andrea was surprised, but he still managed to dodge out of the way. He lunged back into back handspring, his body arching seductively. When he landed, he placed a hand on his hip. He touched the back of his other against his chin, his fingers slightly curling in the air. He had a feline smile on his face.</p><p>That seemed to break the spell a bit. Andrea could feel the invisible tether between them slacken a bit. Okay, okay. Not exactly his A game, but he was still effective enough. With a little more practice, who knows where he’d end up.</p><p>Cloud shook himself bodily as he felt the hold over him loosen. He breathed easier, and it felt like it was the first time. The fresh open air flooded his lungs. Cloud rolled his shoulders back before readying his sword again.</p><p>     “Not bad,” he said in a breath.</p><p>     “I knew you could keep up,” Andrea said. He cocked his hip to one side and tilted his head in the same direction. <em>“You’re the best partner I could have, after all.”</em></p><p>That flash again, and the warmth from before intensified. Cloud was more aware of it now as he was caught in that middle point of lucid and hazy. He fought against it, using sheer willpower. Each strike seemed to fuel the flames though. Andrea was more focused on keeping the spell, so that made his dodging sloppier. Cloud was crowding him, trying to force him into a more defensive state and to give up on the spell. Unfortunately, Andrea was as determined as he was.</p><p>In spite of his best efforts, Cloud felt compelled by his own tempered feelings and a latent lust to move forward, closer, <em>faster</em>. So he followed through. He still had enough of himself to not bum rush Andrea, knowing that his own enhanced skills made him faster any day of the week. But somehow, his strikes felt empty. It felt as if he was moving through water, as if he was imagining strikes he knew he was making. Andrea dodged them with his own grace.</p><p>When he couldn’t dodge and it was too close of a call, the left earring flashed that pastel blue, and suddenly, Andrea was on the other side of Cloud. Only an image of him was left in his wake. Andrea let out a sigh as he hopped back a safe distance.</p><p>     “Time out,” he called. His voice echoed in the air and in Cloud’s own head.</p><p>The spell lifted, hovering like a headache above Cloud’s brow. He felt… a little dazed, but the desire that Andrea was weaponising kept him calm. Kept him a few things but primarily <em>calm</em>, which was ideal. Andrea jogged over and cupped Cloud’s face, checking in on him with touch and words.</p><p>     “How do you feel?”</p><p>     “Like I was underwater for too long.” Cloud touched his forehead with a pinched expression. Focusing, he was able to break through the worst of Andrea’s spell.</p><p>     Andrea felt that tether slack again. He shushed Cloud and cupped his face. “Not like that, hon. Here, let me help you.”</p><p>Cloud relaxed himself to look up into Andrea’s grey eyes. It was comforting being with him like this, warm from the inside out and in his care. But how much of that was the spell and how much of that was how he truly felt?</p><p>The answer was probably simpler than he was making it…</p><p>Something terrible screeched, and Cloud’s eyes immediately shot over Andrea’s shoulder. A drake was making its way towards them. It was probably drawn by the magic and the noise. Dammit, he didn’t think there were any still left in this area. He moved faster than Andrea was expecting, shoving the taller man behind him and readying his weapon.</p><p>     “Are you sure you’ll good to fight?” Andrea asked. “I can still break the connection. It’ll be a little rough, but—”</p><p>     “Don’t worry about me,” Cloud said. Oh, as if it were possible. He turned his head without breaking eye contact with the beast coming closer. “I’m your partner, right? Got one more dance in you?”</p><p>     Andrea stared at him in disbelief before huffing out a laugh. This man… “For you, darling?”</p><p>He reached out to spin Cloud towards him. He smirked and spun them out of the way of the drake’s bite. When they spun, flares of magic followed their steps. Andrea dipped Cloud, their eyes never leaving one another. It was that night all over again.</p><p>     “Always. Now— <em>show them your moves.</em>” He stood Cloud upright before twisting himself out of the way. He extended one arm towards Cloud, the other arched by his head.</p><p>Cloud felt power surge in him. That focus returned, but now, his sights were set on the drake. The creature was flying back around for a second go. Cloud watched it arch its neck, readying an elemental breath. He ducked down before launching himself upward.</p><p>     “Not so fast.” This time, he didn’t need to hold back. Each strike came easier; the cleave of his sword against tough dragon hide made his determination that much more intense.</p><p>Below, Andrea tapped his foot to a beat. He bobbed his head and closed his eyes, timing his next spell until it was ready to burst. He spun back a step and pointed at the drake.</p><p><em>     “Don’t miss a beat.”</em> He could see the formation of a greyed out clock etch itself into the wyvern’s skin before fading away. He felt that tether when the spell connected, but he was surprised when it almost immediately fell away.</p><p>Cloud landed on the ground again, and he was ready to lunge around when the drake screamed. He and Andrea covered their ears as best as they could. Andrea’s concentration was rattled almost immediately. Cloud felt his consciousness click almost completely back into place. There was still a gap where Andrea’s influence was.</p><p>     “Andrea!” He called out. He spun towards the performer, who righted his posture.</p><p>     “I suppose I shouldn’t hold back, hm? <em>Cloud!”</em> He outstretched his hand towards the blond, both earrings flashing blue and orange. <em>“Let’s bring down the house!”</em></p><p>Power returned, but also Cloud felt his heart start to beat faster. There was a faint vibration under his skin. He wouldn’t waste the opportunity. He spun around once, twice, three times and then leapt into the air. He came down in a crushing arch onto the drake. The creature retaliated with a gust of wind, which shot Cloud upward. The blond went sailing through the air. Andrea did his dodge out of the way of the drake, which set its ire onto him.</p><p>Cloud managed to twist himself in the air so that he didn’t land on his head. He reached out a hand to flip backwards. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he raced towards the drake, which was flying lower since it tried to attack Andrea. He connected with the first hit, but each slice of his Buster Sword went faster until he was a blur of steel. Andrea watched, fascinated, still keeping the beat in his head. When this was all over, he wasn’t sure what he’d do to Cloud, but he would do so <em>enthusiastically</em>.</p><p>The drake, with a frightening burst of power, swept at Cloud with its wing, which forced him to bound away. He stood in place as the effects of the spell left his body, leaving him briefly winded. He recovered quickly enough, but it was still enough for the drake to start to make its escape. Andrea turned his full attention to the creature now, moving his bond from Cloud to it. He ran daringly closer until he felt that connection in his mind. Afterward, he chuckled and fanned himself.</p><p><em>     “Leaving so soon?”</em> He turned slowly as he spoke before whipping an arm back and kicking out a leg. He dropped dramatically to the ground, and the magic surged from his materia to his target. As soon as he did, the drake let out a choked trill and froze in place. Its body went crashing to the ground. Andrea rolled onto his side with a smile before swinging himself up into standing position.</p><p>He spun back to look at Cloud, making eye contact with the other man. His eyes flashed both blue and orange, and he extended his arms out. A second, bluish image of himself appeared, but to Cloud, it was the real thing. Both Andreas clasped each others arms, and they nodded towards the drake.</p><p>
  <em>     “It’s time for the curtain call.”</em>
</p><p>He didn’t need to be told twice.</p><p>Cloud rushed forward. He jumped once, landing on the Andreas’ clasped arms, and then they tossed him up into the air. They spun out with their arms open. The sunlight seemed brighter; Cloud’s focus seemed sharper.</p><p>     “It ends here!”</p><p>The Buster Sword came down vertically, and the drake was no more. It gave its final death cry before disappearing into strands of the lifestream. Cloud knelt down with his forehead against the steel of his blade. He wasn’t sure how long he was there for — it felt like an eternity — but when he finally stood, Andrea was beside him.</p><p>     Andrea stroked his face tenderly and gazed into his eyes. “I promise I’d make up earlier to you, didn’t I? Let me extend my favour.”</p><p>Cloud felt lightheaded and a bit drowsy, but he wasn’t complaining. Something in him felt… connected to Andrea, and he could tell that this was coming from him. They eased down to the ground, and Andrea placed a hand on Cloud’s chest.</p><p>     “So. How’d I do?”</p><p>     “A little rough around the edges. Bit amateurish here and there.”</p><p>     “Critique I only accept from a professional such as yourself…” Andrea stroked a thumb against Cloud’s hairline. His other hand served as a grounding force. “Talk with me. Tell me how you feel.”</p><p>Cloud was slow to do so at first. He wanted to just keep staring in Andrea’s eyes, but as the dizziness began to lift, he felt himself a bit more talkative. Clinical, almost, with his current status, but Andrea complimented him with each response.</p><p>     “Good… Like this?… I see… Thank you.”</p><p>On and on, soft reassurances and some jokes here and there until Cloud came back to himself. Andrea started to pull away, but Cloud held him fast.</p><p>     “C’mere. Ground’s big enough for the two of us.”</p><p>     Andrea chuckled before making himself comfortable. “So it is.”</p><p>Cloud placed a hand behind his head and curled his other arm around Andrea’s shoulders. Andrea was more than happy to curl up next to him. With the battle out of the way, they could enjoy nature in peace.</p><p>     Though, it was Cloud who eventually broke the silence. “Hey.”</p><p>     “Yes?”</p><p>     He shifted his thighs together before extending one leg out and drawing the other up. “… You still owe me.”</p><p>     “Oh?” Andrea pushed up to look down at him. He could see that Cloud was starting to flush. <em>What’s this?</em></p><p>Cloud looked up pointedly at the sky, setting his jaw before saying, “I’ll tell you later.”</p><p>     Andrea hummed, curious, but then settled himself back against Cloud. His hand found its way back onto Cloud’s chest again. “Whatever it is, love, I’ll be sure to do my best to make with worth your while.”</p>
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